BILL ANALYSIS Ó
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | SR 88|
|Office of Senate Floor Analyses | |
|(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | |
|327-4478 | |
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THIRD READING
Bill No: SR 88
Author: Moorlach (R)
Introduced:8/26/16
Vote: Majority
SUBJECT: The International Olympic Commission
SOURCE: Author
DIGEST: This resolution urges the International Olympic Committee to
address this issue and recognize the competitors who played by
the rules in the 1976 Olympic Games with their rightful medals
and places in the record books.
ANALYSIS: This resolution makes the following legislative
findings;
1)The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is the chief
governing body that invites athletes from hundreds of
countries to participate in a quadrennial event in the summer
and winter, with 207 countries participating in the most
recent Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
2)The IOC is charged with awarding thousands of medals-gold,
silver, and bronze-for hundreds of events, as well as
recognizing Olympic and world records set by competitors. To
date, 18,554 medals have been awarded by the IOC.
3)Throughout its history, the IOC has reprimanded participants
who were found to be competing with the assistance of
performance-enhancing substances by stripping titles and
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medals and properly recognizing their competitors who played
by the rules.
4)An especially egregious example occurred during the 1976
Olympic Games, for which records recovered after the fall of
the Berlin Wall show that the East German women's swim team
was involved in a state-sponsored scheme for the use of
performance-enhancing substances, violating the integrity of
the competition and the rules of the IOC.
5)Because of the use by the East German female swimmers of
performance-enhancing substances, United States swimmer
Shirley Babashoff and other female swimmers from the United
States and other countries competing in those Games were
unfairly denied their medals and legitimate places in the
record books.
This resolution urges the International Olympic Committee to
address this issue and recognize the competitors who played by
the rules in the 1976 Olympic Games with their rightful medals
and places in the record books.
Comments
According to the Author,
The 1976 Summer Olympic Games in Montreal, Canada,
should have been a monumental and celebratory
occasion for Shirley Babashoff and the dozens of
other female swimmers competing. Instead, the Games
have lived under a dark cloud of controversy for the
past forty years.
The allegations that the East German women's swim
team was competing under the influence of
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performance-enhancing substances were dismissed at
the time, but later proven true. When the Berlin Wall
fell, records were recovered that proved the East
German team was involved in a state-sponsored
performance-enhancing substances scheme.
Due to this scandal, competitors who played by the
rules were denied their true earned victories, and
their countries denied their moment to celebrate with
them. The International Olympic Committee needs to
address this injustice and recognize these
competitors. They have the power to honor these
individuals with their rightful medals and places in
the record books. It is the International Olympic
Committee's turn to step up and demonstrate the
integrity that is becoming of the Olympic Games and
show today's youth the importance and value of
competing with honor.
FISCAL EFFECT: Appropriation: No Fiscal
Com.:NoLocal: No
SUPPORT: (Verified8/29/16)
USA Swimming
USA Swimming Foundation
Numerous individuals
OPPOSITION: (Verified8/29/16)
None received
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Prepared by: Jonas Austin / SFA / (916) 651-1520
8/29/16 18:51:36
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